Coconut Almond Butter Cookies

One favorite treat often requested by my family and my customers is this coconut cookie that's to die for, if you like coconut. If not, never mind. You won't like these either.

These can be filled with apricot preserves or another kind of fruit filling if you prefer. Frankly, we like the apricot so well that I've never tried anything else.

Ingredients:

1 cup butter or margarine

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. almond extract

1 cup confectioners sugar

1 cup flake coconut

2 1/4 cups flour

3/4 cup finely chopped blanched almonds (optional)

Apricot preserves or your choice

Instructions:

Cream butter with salt. Gradually add powdered sugar, creaming well. Blend in flavoring and coconut. Add flour a little at a time, mixing well. Chill in frig till dough is quite stiff. Roll into small balls and place on lightly sprayed baking sheets. Bake at 325 degrees for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and, using the bottom of a 1/2 tsp. measuring spoon, make a depression in each cookie. Return to oven and bake until cookies start to lightly brown. Remove from oven and place on another baking sheet, rack, or foil. Fill depressions with preserves. Sprinkle with coconut. Loose coconut on pan or foil can be retrieved to use on the next batch of cookies. Makes 4 to 4 1/2 dozen.

Store tigthly covered. While these cookies may start out crunchy, they will soften after sitting a while due to the preserves and the moist coconut. In my opinion, they are better the second or third day after baking.